Screw-driver.



No. 762,280. I v I PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

' s. B, GONDON.

SCREW DRIVER.

APPLIOA'I'IONFILED NOV. 3, 1902.

N0 MODEL- UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL E. CONDON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SCREW-DRIVER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 762,280, dated June 14, 1904,

Application filed November 3,1902. Serial No. 129,832. (No model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, SAMUEL E. OoNDoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, Brooklyn borough, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Screw-Drivers, which improvements are fully set forth in the following specification.

My invention relates to screw-drivers, and

more particularly to combined screw-drivers and screw-holders.

The object of my invention, is to provide a screw-driver which shall be more simple and inexpensive in construction than other devices of this character at present in use, simpler in operation, and because of its simplicity much more durable and better adapted for hard work.

The invention consists in certain details of construction to be hereinafter described, and specifically set forth in the claim.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein like referencenumerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views. and as to said drawings, Figure l is a View in elevation, showing a screw-driver embodying my said improvements, the jaws of'the device being shown as having been directly adjusted and locked for practical service. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, the jaws of the device being shown' as having been reversely adjusted or released from their locked position. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, showing more clearly certain minor features of the general construction. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing in perspective the operative parts of the device.

In the drawings, 2 indicates a shank having a handle. This shank is bifurcated at its operating end to form two resilient jaws 2 2, which at all times tend to spring away from each other. These jaws are approximately flat on their interior faces, their outside faces forming each a semicircle and their ends being beveled down to form the operating edge. From the operating edge each jaw increases in thickness until about its middle to form a shoulder, when the thickness decreases to a point 4 on the shank, from which point the shank swells out to form the annular shoulder 4 3" is a sleeve movable on the shank 2. This sleeve is of less interior diameter than the greatest thickness of the jaws 2 2, whereby when it is moved down on said jaws it forces them together, as shown in Fig. 1.

After the sleeve 3' has been forced up over the resilient jaws into its place on the shank and above the swell of the jaws I make two or more depressions or interior bosses in the material thereof, which limit the movement downward of the sleeve by being unable to pass the greatest diameter or swell of the jaws and limit its upward movement by being unable to pass the shoulder L on the shank.

In operation the user moves the sleeve 3 to the position indicated in Fig. 1, then inserts the closed ends of said jaws into the slot of the screw, and then pulls the sleeve 3 back to the position shown in Fig. 2, thus permitting the jaws to separate by their resiliency and to press against the edges of the screw -slot. This allows the user to hold the screw on the blade of the screw-driver without the necessity of holding it there by hand, permits him to place the screw at the point desired, and then by turning the screw-driver as ordinarily done drive the screw.

It will be understood that my improved screw-driver maybe modified to some extent without materially departing from the spirit and principle of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 7 I A screw driver and holder having a shank, bifurcated outwardly-springing jaws gradually increasing in diameter from their work, ing edge to form a shoulder and then gradually decreasing in diameter, a shoulder at the intersection of said jaws and the shank, and.

a sleeve surrounding said jaws above their largest diameter and smaller than said diameter, the said sleeve havinginwardly-projecting depressions which cannot pass either the shoulder on the shank, or on the jaws, whereby the sleeve is retained in its position on the driver, substantially as described.

SAMUEL E. CON DON.

Witnesses:

WV. H. RUBY, MAX B. A. DORING. 

